Fire-alarm apparatus



(No Model.)

H. A. CHASE & H. P. EATON.

FIRE ALARM APPARATUS.

No. 455,812. Patented July 14,- 1891.

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* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. CHASE, OF STONEHAM, AND HO\VARD F. EATON, OF CAMBRIDGE,MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-ALARM APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,812, dated July 14,1891.

Application filed July 28, 1887. Serial No. 245,504. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY A. CHASE, of Stoneham, county of Middlesex,State of Massachusetts, and HOWARD F. EATON, of Cambridge, county ofMiddlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inFire-Alarm Apparatus, of which the following description,in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like let- IO tersand figures on the drawings representing like parts.

In thermostatic fire-alarm circuits now commonly arranged severalthermostats are employed as circuit-changing devices and a suit- I 5able receiving apparatus is employed to respond to the changes in thecircuit, the thermostats being placed upon the ceilings of the rooms ofthe buildings, and it has frequently happened that a single thermostatwould be operated either accidentallyor through some unknown cause,thereby causing the receiving apparatus to indicate a fire when noneexists, which causes considerable trouble and annoyance.

This invention has for its object to construct a suitablereceiving'apparatus whereby such false alarms oraccidentally-operatedCircuit-changing devices will at once be detected without causing thetrue fire-alarm to respond.

In the present embodiment of our invention the main circuit containsseveral circuitchanging devices as thermostats, for instanceand areceiving-relay, the armature of which when effected by a change in the3 5 circuitas when the circuit is broken, for instance-releases a motormechanism which is normally wound. The motor mechanism when thusreleased effects the operation of a local alarm or displaces aninspectors card or some 0 equivalent device and is immediatelythereafter stopped, to be again released when the circuit is againchanged, as when closed or restored to its normal-condition, forinstance. As the motor mechanism is a second time re- 5 leased iteitects the operation of another local alarm, indicating that thecircuit has been again changed or restored again to its normalcondition. Means are also provided in connection with the motormechanism, but forming a part of it, for controlling a third-alarmapparatus, as a bell in an engine-house, when the circuit has been athird time changed, as upon the opening of the circuita second time,such opening of the circuit being caused by the operation of a secondchanging device or by a repetition of the operation of the samecircuit-changing device.

\Vhen our invention is applied to thermostatic Ii re alarm circuits, asherein shown, upon the occurrence of a fire several thermo- 6o statswill operate in succession, they being adj usted to respond to differenttemperatures.

Figure 1 shows in diagram a signal-receiv- 'ing apparatus embodying ourinvention in connection with a thermostatic fire-alarm eircuit, and Fig.2 a cross-sectional detail of a thermostat such as may be employed.

' The main circuit a contains a battery 0' and several circuit-changingdevices a said circuit-changing devices being herein shown asthermostat-s of the kind shown and described in United States Patent No.329,470, granted to M. Martin and illustrated in Fig. 2,yet we desire itto be understood that other forms of circuit-changing devices or signaltransmitting devices may be employed.

The thermostat herein showncomprises the circuit-changing lever 0,pivoted at 0' to a bar 0 of insulating material, the outer or free endof which lever 0 bears upon a plate 0 of So conducting material. Theplate 0 has an I opening or recess 0, which exposes the bar 0 and theextremity of the lever 0 passes over this recess in its movement fromone to the other side of said plate 0 and hence breaks the continuity ofthe circuit and immediately thereafter restores it again. A tank 0 whichis filled with expansible material, is employed to move the saidcircuit-changing lever 0 in one direction, and said lever is returnedby. 5' pressing upon the projection 0 on the lever. The receiving-relayb is also included in the 'main'circuit, thearmature-lever Z? of whichis provided with a detent 11 which engages a stud or projection 2 of atoothed wheel 0 of the motor mechanism. The armature b is provided atits rear side with another detent b (see dotted lines,) which, when saidarmature is raised, lies in the path of movement of the stud orprojection 3 on the wheel 0, which it engages.

The toothed wheel 0 is mounted upon a shaft carrying a pinion c, whichis engaged by a toothed wheel 0 mounted upon a shaft carrying a pinion 0which is in turn engaged by a toothed wheel 0, mounted upon the shaft ofthe motor, upon which the main spring 0 is mounted in any usual manner.The toothed wheel a meshes with a pinion c fixed to the shaft carryingthe escape-wheel. The pinion c meshes with a toothed wheel 0 fixed to ashaft carrying a pinion 0 said pinion meshing with a pinion c fixedto ashaft carrying a circuit-controlling wheel d. The toothed wheel a isprovided with a stud or projection at, which during the revolution ofthe said wheel first strikes one arm 5 of a circuit-closing key, whichcloses a local circuit f containing a battery f and a bell f andafterward strikes one arm 6 of a circuit-closing key, which closes alocal circuit g containing a battery g and a bell g Either of the localcircuits f or gmay contain any other suitable instrument other than abell, if desired. Onehalf of the pinion c is deprived of teeth, so

i that as the wheel 0 makes one revolution and the said pinion one-halfof a revolution in the direction shown by the arrows thereon the pinionwill not be rotated, but as the wheel 0 makes a second revolution thepinion 0 will engage and rotate the pinion 0 one revolution, therebyrotating the circuit-closing wheel d. The peripheral projections of thewheel d, as said wheel revolves strike one arm 9 of a circuit-closingkey, which closes a local circuit h containing a battery h and a bell72, or other suitable reoeiving-instrument. The wheel 61 may be providedwith any number of projections, as desired, to cause the bell h tostrike any number of times.

Then using the thermostat as herein provided, should the circuit beopened permanently by a partial movement of the lever 0 or by a brokenwire, the armature-lever b will be retracted, permitting the wheel 0 torevolve until stopped by the stud 8 engaging the detent b of thearmature-lever, and during such movement of the wheel the stud 4 willstrike the circuit-closing key and close the local circuit f, to therebyindicate that the line is open. If the line is opened momentarily-thatis to say, opened and immediately thereafter restored to its normalconditionthe wheel 0 will be released, and as the armature-leverimmediately resumes its normal position said wheel will continue to makeone revolution, and during such movement the stud at will close thecircuit f for a short interval of time and afterward close the circuit gfor a short interval of time, thereby indicating that the line has beenopened and thereafter closed by the operation of one of the thermostats,such operation being caused either by fire or by some accident orunknown cause. In case of the occurrence of a fire two or morethermostats will operate, as they are preferably located near togetherand also preferably adjusted to respond to different temperatures insuccession. When a second thermostat or one adjusted to a hightemperature operates, opening and thereafter closing the line, the wheelc will be again released to make one complete revolution, and as saidwheel makes its second revolution the circuit-closing wheel (I will makeone complete revolution, causing the bell 71 to respond to the numberupon the wheel, said bell being located, for instance, in theengine-house and the number indicating the building or floor of thebuilding in or about which the fire is raging. I

By this receiving apparatus herein described it will be seen that thebell k indicating fire, will not respond until at least two thermostatshave operated or the line opened and closed twice. As will also be seen,the receiving apparatus herein described will respond to changes in themain circuit produced by the brake-Wheel, so that we do not desire tolimit the scope of our invention to the employment of a thermostat orequivalent circuit-changin g device, as automatic signal-transmittin gdevices of any character may be employed, and also,if desired, one ormore receivers, such as f g 7L2, may be employed, depending upon theapplication made of the receiving apparatus.

We claim 1. In an electric circuit, circuit-changing devices constructedand arranged to change the condition of the circuit and thereafterrestore it, a single receiving-relay and armature-lever therefor, andmotor mechanism controlled by said armature-lever, combined with tworeceiving or indicating instruments, the operation of one of which isgoverned by the motor mechanism when the armature-lever is moved in onedirection and the opera tion of the other of which is governed by saidmotor mechanism when the armature-lever is restored to its'normalposition, substantially as described.

2. In an electric circuit, circuit-changing devices constructed andarranged to change the condition of the circuit and thereafter restoreit, and a single receiving-relay and its armature-lever, combined withtwo receiving or indicating instruments and motor mechanism controlledby said armature-lever, which operates one of the receiving-instrumentswhen any one of the circuit-changing devices changes the condition ofthe circuit and which operates the other receiving-instrument when thecondition of the circuit is restored, substantially as described.

3. In an electric circuit, circuitchanging devices constructed andarranged to change the condition of the circuit and thereafter restoreit, a receiving-relay and armature-lever therefor, and a motor mechanismgoverned by both the forward and backward movements of the saidarmature-lever, combined with two receiving or indicating instrumentscontrolled by the said motor mechanism, one of which operates when thearmature-lever moves forward and the other when the armature rethecondition of the circuit and thereafter restore it, a receiving-relayand its armaturelever therefor, and the wheel cand motor mechanism formoving it, said wheel having thereon studs which co-operate with detentsof the armature-lever, as described, combined wit-l1 two receiving orindicating instruments controlled in succession by said wheel 0,substantially as described.

5. In an electric circuit, circuit-changing devices constructed andarranged to change the condition of the circuit and thereafter restoreit, the receiving-relay and armaturelever responsive to the changes inthe circuit, and motor mechanism the operation of which is controlled bysaid armature, the receiving or indicating instrument controlled by saidmotor mechanism when the armaturelever is responding to the restorationof the condition of the circuit and the circuit-wheel d, and receivingor indicating instrument controlled by it responsive to a second orrepeated movement of the armature-lever, substantially as described.

6. In an electric circuit, circuit-changing devices constructed andarranged to change the condition of the circuit and thereafter restoreit, and a receiving-relay and armaturelever responsive to the changes inthe circuit, combined with a normally-wound motor mechanism and twostops, one of which is engaged by the armature lever when re tracted tothereby hold the motor mechanism, a receiving-instrument' governed bythe said motor mechanism as the armature moves from one to its otherposition, and another receiving-instrument governed by the said motormechanism as the armature resumes its normal position, substantially asdescribed.

7. In an electric circuit, circuit-changing devices constructed andarranged to change the condition of the circuit and thereafter restoreit, and a receivin g-relay and armaturelever responsive to the changesin the circuit, combined with a normally wound motor mechanism and twostops, one of which is engaged by the armature-lever when retracted tothereby hold the motor mechanism, a receivirig-instrument governed bythe said motor mechanism as the armature moves from one to its otherposition and another receiving-instrument governed by the said motormechanism as the armature resumes its normal position, and acircuit-wheel operated by the motor mechanism as the armature-leverrepeats its movement, substantially as described.

8. In an electric circuit, circuit-changing devices constructed andarranged to change the condition of the circuit and thereafter restoreit, and a receiving-relay and armature: lever responsive to the changesin the circuit, combined with a normally-wound motor mechanism held bythe armature-lever, the electro-magnetically-operatingreceiving-instrument, the circuit of which is controlled by acircuit-wheel, as c, driven by said motor mechanism the first time thearmature-lever responds to a change and restoration of the circuit, andanother electro-magnetically-operating receiving-instrument, the circuitof which is controlled by another circuit-wheel driven by a motormechanism and operative during the second time the armature-leverresponds to a change and restoration of the circuit, the last-namedcircuit-wheel being formed to indicate a certain number or codesignal,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

HENRY A. CHASE. HOWARD F. EATON. Witnesses:

BERNICE J. Novns, B. DEVVAR.

